Tong support for earth-boring apparatus



E. E. GREVE iONG SUPPORT FOR EARTH BORING APPARATUS I Filed Nov. 8. 1922 l I; 5 I 26 v. '10

I/ l/ x B 25 FIG. 4

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 4, 1927. a

I EDGAR.- E. ennvnor BELLEvUn'PnNitsYLvnmn. 1

Tone surronr son EARTH-Behind n1 imitators,

Application filed lll overnber 8, 1522. Serial 1W0, 599,665.

This invention is for a tong carrying means for use in connection I with rotary earth drilling rigs, and relates particularly to a tong support for allowing a pipe en- 5 gaging tong to move vertically with the pipe whichit is turning inthe operation of screwing sections of pipe or drill-stem together.

In rotary drilling operations the drill stem is composed of sectionsofpipe 0on nected together. 'Asthe depth, of. the hole increases, sections of pipe must be added, necessitating frequent screwing and unscrewing of threaded connections, The rotaries used in such chilling operations are arranged in such manner that apo-wer driven part of the rotary may be utilized in rotatinga pipe wrench attached to a pipe sec- H tion for screwing and unscrewing the pipe sections. WVhen a tong is thus attachedto a pipe, it must be free to move vertically with the vertical 'movement of the pipe as it screws into or out ofthe threaded joint.

The present inventionhas for its principal object to provide a tong support which will allow thetong to move vertically'while it is rotating the'pipe, and which will allow for this movement without binding. I

' The invention maybe readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 illustrates a-side elevation of my invention, showing it applied to a .rotary, the rotary being shown in section; M

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a slight modification; I

Figs. 3 and dare views similar to Fig. 2, showing other modifications. I

.In .the drawings, A designates the rotary having a drive ring 5 and a table 6', the rotarybeingof'any known or preferred construction. The pipe or drill stem is designated in all figures of the drawings as 'B.

The drive ring 5 is provided with asocket or other suitable means 7 for ;removably holding a vertical post 8, the ,postpreferably being received in the socket or supported in such manner that it mayswivel or rotate on its longitudinal axis; The top of the post 8 is preferably enlarged at 9 and bifurcated, the bottom of' the intervening space 7 being inclined, asindicatedby'the dotted line 10 of Fig.

' Received within the bifurcatedend of the h end instead of being spring actuated. [While post is a lever'll having-a slot therein, through which a pin, ora pin and roller,

Then, as the pipeinoves screws into the joint, thef'tong. may move with the pipe, rocking'the .ing pivotal mounting support for the lever;

. 12 passes, thus providing slidingjpivotal .O'ne end' of'the "lever, Y

hereinafter termedtheinner end'of'the lever,

is pivotally connected at 13 with lja. tong supporting member 14, which member prefto. erably 'takesthe place of the ordin'aryjhandleffor the tong, said member'l'having the j aws pivotally connected -tlie re witlri in fthe usual'manner. AliplG extends from the connecting member- 14 beneath the "pivoted jointat the lower end of'the lever, thus preventing the tongcomprisedof'jaws 15 from sag-ginger hanging down-relatively to. the

lever when the latter is in' a'horiz'ontal posit-ion and before attachment to the drill If'the tong' is attachedto pipe Qseetion which is to be screwed intoanothe'rpipesec-i tion, the tong isattachedto the pipe section with th levenin a horizontal position .r f r de r t e ev enables the'tong to "nio've downwardly coaxially with the pipeata proper distance from the p'ost, 'not being movedtowardithe post by the arcuate movement of the lever.

f In order to normally holdtheleverf'11'in a horizontal position, some means is rovided for counteracting thejweight 'of the tong. In Fig; 1, Ihave shown a tension spring17 connected at one, end to the outer end of leverlland at its other end to suitable securing means, such for instance, as

lug 18 on 'thepost'S, The slope of ,thebotlever} The slid- 7.5 downwardly as it i tom; face of' the. post 8, where" it is bifurcated, enables one, end' ofjthe lever to tilt downwardly from a horizontalposition, but prevents the outer end from moving downwardly any substantial distance beyond the horizontal. 1 I

The construction in Fig, 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, withqthe' exception of the spring meansfor returning'the lever to horizontal "position. Iii-this figure, I have, shown a, rod 19 passed through an "opening in the post '8 and secured at 20'to the lever. A compression spring 21 surroundingthe rod, confined .betweenthe lever and a seat in the post,'serves to hold; the lever in horizontal position. j

The levermay be weighted ataitsoute'r this might be done in several, ways, I'have a straight pipe to be engaged as said lever is rocked, and means for yieldably urging the. lever to the substantially horizontal normalposition. I v I 12. A tong support for use in connection with rotary drilling operations comprising a post, a horizontally pivoting arm carried by the post, and resilientmeans connected to the arm for-urging the arm upwardly against gravity a tong carried by the arm. I r

In testimony whereof alfix my signature.

EDGAR E. GREVE.

to a normal position, and 

